“I mean, what would you have done?”

The other night we invited a man and woman over to our “Home Sweet Home.”
It turned out to be quite a night.  They stayed much longer than expected.  During their 2 ½ hours in our home they managed to say every cuss word imaginable in front of my wife and children.  I know I should have intervened and stopped them, but they were our guests and I felt rather awkward.  In the midst of their curse words, they started kissing each other (right in front of us).  These were not simple little kisses, but wild, sensual ones.  My children were hiding their heads under the pillows on the couch.  At one point in their visit the woman took off her shirt and bared herself to all of us as we sat there in disbelief.   We were uncomfortable with their behavior, but each of us failed to do anything about it.  It was very awkward, but they were guests in our home…I mean, what would you have done?? 

Now I know some of you are saying, “What is wrong with you?  For crying out loud, you should have thrown those nutty people out of your home!”  Well, I suppose you are right, but gosh, we did invite them over…it just seemed like we had to sit and listen to what they had to say and watch what they did in front of us.  I do confess that after they had gone I felt violated and my conscience was heavy.  I know their presence in our home had a bad impact on my wife and my children, but doggone-it… they were our guests…I mean, what would you have done??

Even as I write this, I have come to a decision…the next time I invite someone like that over to my house, I promise that if they begin to display any behavior that is inappropriate for my children, my wife, or me…I will…turn off that television program or DVD!!  (Did I have you going for a while!!?)

We wouldn’t want “guests” like I described above sitting in our homes, polluting our families.  Yet, many of us don’t hesitate to bring home such “guests” that constantly shout foul language in our ears, have sex right in front of our children, and may even kill a few people for good measure…all in the secure setting of our “home, sweet home”.

You may never have thought of it in these terms.  I didn’t realize that I was actually inviting “guests” into my home that I would never invite in person.  There is something about a DVD that makes it seem neutral…but whatever they are saying or doing on that video is being said or done to me and my loved ones in the room with me.  If I would throw them out in person, then maybe I ought to turn them off when they are not “in person”.

As I ponder this, I think the following verse should be taped to the front of my television (if my “guests” don’t measure up to it, they should be turned off!):

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.”  (Philippians 4:8-9)